Healthy Macaroni Cheese

Quick post to save this recipe that I would like to try soon.

prep 20 mins

cook 20 mins

total 40 mins

yield 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup uncooked pasta (macaroni, penne, spirals etc)
• 400g cauliflower (approx. half a small cauliflower)
• 2 medium courgette
• 2 Tbsp (30g) butter or your preferred oil
• 2 Tbsp plain flour
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 2 rashers of streaky bacon  finely diced
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Cup  grated cheese

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta as per the packet directions, drain and set aside
2. Roughly chop the cauliflower, peel the courgette/zucchini, roughy chop and steam with the cauliflower until tender
3. While the cauliflower is cooking start on the roux sauce (white sauce).
4. Heat butter/oil in a saucepan
5. Add onion and bacon and sauté until onion softened and translucent
6. Add the flour and cook for around 2mins whilst stirring
7. Gradually add the milk (I find if you preheat the milk first, which you can do in the microwave, you will get a smoother sauce and the sauce will thicken much more quickly)
8. Bring the sauce to the boil then remove from heat. At this point you should have quite a thick but smooth sauce
9. Stir in 3/4 Cup of the grated cheese
10. Once the cauliflower and courgette is tender, drain, then puree. I usually use a whizz stick/stick blender. You will end up with around 2  cups of vegetable puree,
11. Stir the vegetable puree into your cheese your sauce
12. Combine your sauce with the pasta
13. Then pour the pasta and sauce mixture into a greased oven proof dish. You can top with the remaining grated cheese
14. Bake for around 20mins at 180 degrees celsius
15. Serve

Notes

•  Remove the bacon entirely and you will still have a lovely vegetarian dish.
• I use butter when I make a roux sauce/white sauce as I just find it cooks better for me, but you can use oil
• I often freeze this dish into kiddy portions, using a silicone muffin tray. Once frozen I pop them out and put them in a zip lock bag, then reheat as many portions as I need.
• Add sliced boiled eggs to up the protein content
• It also makes a great side dish for lean meat, fish or chicken.

courses light meal

Recipe by My Kids Lick The Bowl at https://mykidslickthebowl.com/healthy-macaroni-cheese-with-vegetables/

Salmon Baked Rice with Cheese

I’ve tried this recipe and it was pretty good. Not sure why I didn’t post it up here. This is from hungrygowhere.com.

YIELD:

4 Servings

PREPARATION TIME:

15 Mins

COOK TIME:

30 Mins

MAIN INGREDIENTS

• 200 g long grain white rice
• 1 small knob of butter
• 200 g skinless salmon fillet
• 4 tablespoons undiluted campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom
• 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
• 200 g mozzarella cheese
• 10 pencil-thin asparagus
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sea salt
• black pepper

GARNISHING:

• Parsley

METHOD

Step 1

Set aside some thinly sliced salmon for garnishing the baked rice later.

Step 2

Heat saucepan and melt butter. Pan-fry the salmon fillet till just cooked (about 3 minutes each side depending on the thickness of the salmon fillet).

Step 3

Add cooked salmon fillet to the cooked rice and use your spatula to mash the salmon to break it into flakes. Mix till the rice and salmon are thoroughly combined. Season the rice with sea salt and black pepper.

Step 4

Dish the salmon rice mixture into oven-safe baking dishes until about ¾ the height of the dish.

Step 5

Spread mushroom soup sauce and Japanese mayonnaise on top of the rice using the back of a spoon. Top with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Step 6

Garnish the rice by topping thin slices of uncooked salmon prepared in step 1, asparagus and cherry tomato slices.

Step 7

Baked in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted and is slightly browned. Garnish with parsley.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Really great reviews on allrecipes.com so I just had to repost it here to try later. I got it from here.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

• Prep 15 m

• Cook 35 m

• Ready In 50 m                                   Serves 6

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Finally, stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil. Serve immediately.

Low Carb Cauliflower Leek Soup

Another link to store for future reference! Got it from allrecipes. Very simple recipe, I like it. Can’t wait to try.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 leeks, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large head cauliflower, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions

• Prep 15 m

• Cook 1 h

• Ready In 1 h 15 m

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.
2. Remove the soup from heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or hand mixer. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the heavy cream, and continue blending until smooth.

Simple Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Croutons

Found out that my little monster (aka my daughter) has a love for soups (and also hates her greens, argh), so decided to experiment cooking vegetable soups to make her drink up her vitamins and minerals. This one looks good and will try it soon.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread, toasted
• 4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 heads broccoli, florets separated and stems chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

• Prep 15 m

• Cook 10 m

• Ready In 25 m                                      Serves 4

1. Top each toast slice with Cheddar cheese. Melt cheese with a kitchen torch until bubbling and golden, 30 seconds.
2. Melt butter in a pot over high heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot butter until fragrant and sizzling, about 15 seconds. Add stock to pot and bring to a boil. Stir broccoli into stock, pushing broccoli down into liquid; return to a boil and cook until broccoli is tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Puree broccoli mixture using an immersion blender until soup is smooth.
4. Stir cream, cayenne pepper, and salt into soup; puree with immersion blender again until smooth, about 30 seconds. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese toast.